Now-told Stories of the 51st Hunger Games
by Hutsune
Summary: After the success of the Quarter Quell, the gamemakers have something new in store of the next batch of tributes. Who will emerge victorious? CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR TRIBUTES.
1. Dorian Gray

**Dorian Gray, District 6 (17)**

_Woo Woo Woooo._

Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I crawled out of bed. 5am wake up was always the worst.

_Woo Woo Woooo. _

I could hear the stumbling footsteps of my cellmates as they fumbled around in the darkness for their orange jumpsuits. I knew that the 5am wake up was just as hard on them as it was for me.

_Woo Woo Woooo. _

Finding my jumpsuit in the corner where I'd left it, I pulled it on, just as the lights in cellblock D flickered to life. I winced in the bright light. Oh how I hated 5am wake up.

"Attention, inmates!" a voice barked. "Stand next to your beds."

I shuffled over to my bed and, barely awake, stood to attention so the Peacekeeper could begin the morning checks. He spoke to us as he patted us down.

"Do you all know what day it is?"

"Reaping day, sir!" Of course, which was why we were up earlier than usual.

"That's right. Do we have any volunteers amongst you?"

"No, sir!"

"Yes, sir."

My voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough for the Peacekeeper to hear me and make his way over to my corner of the cell.

"Oh," he said, his voice rising with interest. "Well, this is something new."

I didn't respond and just kept looking straight ahead. I knew better.

"Do you think you can win, inmate?"

"Yes, sir!"

I wasn't actually sure if I could win, but it was the better of the two answers I could give. I wasn't about to explain to a Peacekeeper about how this was the only way to win my freedom.

The Peacekeeper didn't respond. He just looked me up and down before going back to the entrance of the cell.

"Showers. Now!"

* * *

"I heard a rumour that you're volunteering today."

I didn't look up from my oatmeal.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" I mumbled in reply. "At least you know you're safe today."

I didn't have to look to picture the worry on my friend's face as he said, "Dorian, this is such a bad idea. I know you're fit and healthy, but one more year and we're free! We've been acing the rehabilitation program. How could they not release us on parole once we turn 18? Don't throw your life away when we're almost out of here."

"Michael," I said, still not looking up. "Don't you get it? There is no 'out of here' for me. I killed three people." I sighed. "No matter how well I do in the rehab program, they'll never let me out. Once I turn 18, I'm going to join the adults in the district prison. Do you know what they'll do to a kid like me there? I'm not going there."

"This is still a really bad idea."

I chucked slightly. " I think you might be the only person who would miss me."

I doubted I was wrong. Michael was my only friend, family maybe if you could call it that, and the only real family I'd ever known.

I was left at the District 6 orphanage as a baby and living there was the closest thing to hell that I could imagine. Even worse that the young offenders prison where I found myself now (although maybe not worst than the actual district prison). By the age of 8 I was already living on the street, fending for myself until one of the local gangs took me in. That's where things got really nasty.

To be properly initiated into the gang, you have to kill someone. A target that the gang leaders set for you, and you cannot say no. It's either kill, or be killed yourself, and at that stage, I was still choosing life.

I was 14 when they decided that it was time for my initiation. I knew nothing about the person who I was supposed to kill, except that he used to be part of the gang, but decided to desert. I didn't know why he left, but in my mind, he was a traitor and deserved what was coming to him. That's how messed up in the head I was at the time.

They dropped me off at the house and told me only to return once I'd done it. They also told me that if I didn't return, they'd assume that I'd failed and they'd hunt me down and kill me. What choice did I have? Besides, these were the people who raised me. I just wanted to belong somewhere.

Even though it was three years ago, I could remember that night like it was only last week. I could still feel the crisp air pinch my cheeks as I entered the house at quarter past midnight, and I could still smell the damp autumn leaves on the ground under my feet. I still dream about that night sometimes, and the smell is always the most prominent feature.

They had given me a gun with a silencer. My job was simple. Go in, shoot him in the head while he slept and get out. It was supposed to be easy. Nothing to it.

But, of course, it wasn't easy. If it was, I wouldn't be in prison.

I did the job easily enough. My target was asleep, as planned. I stood over him, pulled the trigger and it was all over. The hard part was getting out. Turns out, my target was not alone.

"Alexus? Is that you?"

I froze at the female voice behind me. Shit shit shit. I couldn't move. This was not supposed to happen. There was not supposed to be another person in the house. I was starting to panic.

My grip tightened on my gun

"Don't move," I said calmly, turning around slowly and pointing the gun at the woman. "I don't want to hurt you, but if you don't let me leave I'm going to have to."

"Alexus?"

The woman wasn't listening to me. She'd turned on the light and noticed the blood on the pillow besides my target's head. She turned to me, eyes wide.

"What have you done? Alexus!"

"Don't move," I ordered as the woman started moving towards the bed and towards where I was standing. "I mean it. I will shoot!"

She wasn't listening to me now. Her voice was choking in her throat and she was becoming hysterical. "Alexus!"

"Don't scream," I said as forcefully as I could. " Stay where you are. I mean it!"

The woman didn't listen. She started to scream and move towards me. I had no choice. I pulled the trigger. She dropped to the floor, not moving.

I was shaking now. This was not part of the plan. I heard movement behind me and I spun around, pulling the trigger once again. I needed to get out of her. I was in a full blown panic.

The panic quickly disappeared once I'd realise what I'd just done. At the same time, I realised just why my target had left the gang. He had started a family. The whole world just froze as I looked down at the small, crumpled figure on the ground. I had shot a child.

I don't remember leaving the house and I don't remember the Peacekeepers apprehending me. From what I'd been told, I came quietly, and I've been in the juvenile detention centre ever since.

"You never know, Michael," I said, trying to sound cheerful. " I might win."

Michael just scoffed and walked away. I went back to my oatmeal. He was probably right. What chance did I really have?

* * *

**Authors note: Thanks for reading and if you'd like to submit a tribute, please PM me and I'll send you a form. I'm still looking for a couple more. **


	2. Adelynn Knowles

**Adelynn "Addie" Knowles, District 6 (15)**

"Ouch! Anayeah, you're hurting me!"

My elder sister didn't reply and pulled the brush through my hair a little harder.

"Well, if you'd just cut this stuff like I said you should," she said through gritted teeth, "it wouldn't get so tangled and we wouldn't have this problem. Now hold still, I need to braid it."

I just groaned and slumped down in my chair. At 15 years old, you would think that I'd be able to do my own hair, but Anayeah always insisted. Especially on a day like today.

Anayeah had been taking care of our little family since I was 10, which is a lot of responsibility for a girl who was only 12 herself. Our parents were killed by Peacekeepers for a reason which I still don't know, leaving Anayeah responsible for me and our younger sister, Aria (who is still only 11). She'd had to quit school to work in the factories and, ever since then, she'd taken on the role of head of the household, despite only being 2 years my senior.

"There. Done!"

I couldn't get out of that chair fast enough. Anayeah loved doing my hair, but sometimes she took getting the knots out too seriously and it hurt.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I walked towards my bedroom, and I stopped to look at my reflection. A tall girl with pale skin and a couple of freckles splashed across the nose stared back. Her waist-length black hair was pulled back into a long braid down her back and her hazel eyes looked worried. How could I not be worried? It was reaping day after all.

"Addie!" Anayeah called from the kitchen. "Aria has your reaping dress." Aria was our younger sister. "She was letting out the hem last night. You grow too quickly."

"It's here, it's here!"

A small girl rushed into the kitchen from outside. Aria looked just like me, dark hair, freckles and hazel eyes, except she was small for her age while I was tall. The 11 year old could easily pass for 9.

"Ow!" Aria stopped running, tears welling up in her eyes. "I pricked myself with the needle."

"Addie, can you deal with that please," Anayeah said, turning her face away from our little sister. "You know how I feel about blood."

I bent down to examine Aria's finger. Luckily for her, no blood had been drawn.

"All clear," I said, patting Aria on the head. "Next time, don't run with a needle."

"You're so sympathetic," Aria replied sarcastically. "Here." She held out my purple reaping dress. "Your dress is finished."

"Thanks, little one," I said, giving her head one last pat before going back into my room to get changed. I didn't have to look to know that Aria was sticking her tongue out at my back. She hated being called little one.

I dressed quickly and, within five minutes, I was ready to leave the house.

"I'll see you guys later!" I called from the front door.

"Off to Miele's house, I presume?" Anayeah said without looking up.

"You've presumed correct," I replied with a smile. " See you at the reaping!"

* * *

My best friend, Miele, lives in one of the richer areas of District 6. Her father was the manager of some big factory and the family were relatively well off. I loved going over there because both of Miele's parents were so nice, something that was severely lacking in my life. That, and they always made such I was fed.

Miele was leaving her house just as I arrived. I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly disappointed not to see her parents too.

"Hey Miele," I said cheerfully, "off to the reaping already?"

"Hi Addie! Funny seeing you here. I was actually about to head over to your place so we could walk together."

Miele and I were very close. She was practically my third sister and we spent all of our spare time together. Probably why neither of us had ever managed to find a boyfriend.

I fell into step besides her.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

Miele sighed. " As good as anyone can feel on a day like this, I guess. I'm just glad our names aren't in there a whole bunch."

Our names were both in the reaping bowl four times. Anayeah never let me take out tesserae, no matter how bad things got at home. I didn't even want to think about how many times her name was in there.

"Same here," I replied, echoing her sigh. "I wonder who it'll be today."

"I wonder if we'll get any volunteers."

I laughed. "Yeah, someone with a real death wish."

Miele didn't laugh. "Imagine actually going into the hunger games," she said solemnly. "I can't even picture what that must be like."

I took her hand. "Hopefully we'll never have to."

We'd reached the town square and joined the line of the other 15 year olds. I spotted Anayeah in the line of 17 year olds and waved. She waved back with an encouraging smile. Aria was nowhere to be seen.

The mayor gave his usual speech and welcomed our district's escort onto the stage. For the life of me I could never remember her name. Something ridiculous from the Capitol no doubt. I wasn't even listening as she gave the same speech she always did about honour and sacrifice and all the usual Capitol bullshit about the Hunger Games. There was no honour in being forced to fight to the death.

"Ladies first!"

The escort's squeaky voice brought my wondering mind back to reality. She made a big show of moving her hand around the bowl before finally picking a name.

"Anayeah Knowles!"

My world froze. No. Not my sister. Not the breadwinner of the family. Not the girl who had left school to care for her two little sisters. Not the girl who raised me. Not the girl who couldn't hurt a fly. Not the girl who was scared of blood. Not her.

I started screaming as Anayeah walked slowly towards the stage. I tried to fight my way through the crowd to my sister, but I could feel myself being restrained. I'd found my voice before I'd even realised what I was about to do.

"I volunteer!"

"No Addie!" shouted Anayeah. "Stay where you are!"

But it was too late. The escort had heard my shouts and was ushering me up onto the stage.

"Oh how exciting," she gushed, ignoring Anayeah's sobs. "We have a volunteer! Come here sweetie and tell us a bit about yourself." She shoved the microphone in my face.

I looked into the camera, trying to act tough even though I was about to cry.

"My name is Adelynn Knowles," I said in a monotone, "and I volunteer as tribute in place of my sister, Anayeah Knowles."

"No Addie!" screamed Anayeah. "Don't do this."

But I had to. Anayeah wouldn't make it past the bloodbath. She hates conflict and doesn't stand a chance in the Hunger Games. This was my chance to save the girl that saved me because, without her stepping up once our parents were killed, I'd surely be dead. Or worse. Besides, Aria needed her.

The escort realised that she wasn't going to get anything more from me and moved on to the boys' reaping bowl. I didn't even hear the name of the boy who had been chosen before another voice rang out.

"I volunteer as tribute!"

"Oh my!" squealed the escort. "Another volunteer? This is unheard of in District 6! Come up here, young man."

I looked down from the stage to see a blonde boy dressed in an orange jumpsuit make his way towards the stage. I gasped slightly as I realised he was from the juvenile detention centre. Great. My district partner was a felon.

"What is your name, son?"

"Dorian Gray," he responded, looking over at me instead of into the camera. "Pleased to meet you."

Surprisingly, Dorian did look pleased to meet me. His hulking build and orange jumpsuit made for a scary appearance, but his grey eyes were kind. I knew immediately that I could trust this boy, despite him being a convicted felon. Maybe he would make a good district partner after all.

We shook hands. He smiled at me reassuringly.

"You're very brave," he said, his hand still in mine. "You'll make a great ally."

Then, before I knew what was happening, I was being steered towards the Justice Building by Peacekeepers. It was time to say goodbye.

* * *

**Author's note: Thanks again for reading. I'm still in need of tributes, so if you'd like to submit one, please PM me and I'll send you the form and tell you which districts are available. **


End file.
